While we are talking about Julias...

I read two books by Julia Glass in the last little while and I just need to talk about how spectacular she is. I read her first novel, Three Junes some time last year. I loved it. I loved the way she described characters so that you feel you know them, even when you know very little about them, her writing feels intimate from the moment you meet each person. I also loved the small details that she incorporates in every piece of her woven tales, they say it is all in the details, and she proves it is true. Her books are just nicely constructed, smooth transition shifts, just enough mystery to keep you intrigued. It won the National Book Award, rare for a first novel and well deserved all around.



Needless to say, I bought her second book right when it came out, at Barnes & Noble... that never happens. It was eased by the fact that my boyfriend's parents know enough about me to have bought me a gift card to a bookstore (more than half of which is still on the card, almost a year later, I know I'm weird about spending gift cards, but that is for another time). Anywho, her second book, The Whole World Over. I loved it immediately, I even read a sentence out loud to my mother at one point; who gave me a funny look, well deserved I was being ridiculous but the book was great. It incorporates as minor characters some people from Three Junes and it feels like you are revisiting great friends. Then, suddenly it took a turn, a September 11th turn... I rolled over in bed and said to my boyfriend, 'hmmm, this book has taken a turn.' He replied, 'for the better or worse?' 'I don't know...I just don't know'. However, it turned out to be tasteful, relevant and totally non-intrusive. God, I love her so much. It will probably be another 5 years before we get another book out of her, but it will be worth it. I've so far forced 3 co-workers to read at least one of them, and they all loved them (and I don't supervise them, so they are not lying!).

This is probably also a good time to tell you...

I am madly in love with used books. I love new books too, particularly when they are heartfelt gifts or from amazing independent book stores (see here, here and an amazing store in Napa, CA that I can't find online but I swear they organize books like they are in my head). But there is something about used books that I find incredibly special, you never know who has read them before, where they have been, who has enjoyed them, there is a bit of a mystery to them. Clearly this is familial, my cousin Shawn has a project that chronicles interesting book inscriptions. Anyway, used books incorporate my love of both books and an amazing deal (it's the good jewish girl in me), and I will go to great lengths for a good sale or store. It is so bad that when my boyfriend and I get in a fight, to make up, he will often say, 'do you want to go to the used book store?' He's no fool, that is the best aphrodesiac ever... There was once a crazy charity sale in D.C. when I was living there where the books got cheaper each week until they were all sold. They had an outlet right around the corner from my office and I went probably 3x a week. I loved it so much that I started reading the trashy books in a couple of evenings and sneaking them back in to the sale for them to sell again... I have a problem... that's why I have to tell you about them!

This is going to be a little out of order...

But I just finished Julie & Julia and I kind of need to talk about it. The book is based on Julie Powell's Julie/Julia Project. A blog chronicling her desire to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. I in one year. First, let me chronicle all the reasons why I really wanted to like this book. 1. I love blogs, particularly personal ones as evidenced by both this endeavor and my obsessive checking of everything from my baby nephew's blog, to dooce, to postsecret and everything in between. 2. I love crazy long term projects! Case in point, my desire to read the top 100 novels and reading A.J. Jacobs' The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.

That being said, here is my issue:
The book just didn't come together for me. It felt like she was riding the wave of blogger books, and honestly, I just started reading back entries of the blog, and they are much more heartfelt and amusing than the book. I heard about the project and loved the concept, I love irreverent, sarcastic and empowered women's voices and I love cooking. I had assumed (and you know what they say about assuming...) that the book would be more of an edited version of the blog, with more day to day action. What the book delivered was so close, but never got there. Needless to say, I was disappointed, I certainly respect her, and her project, and salute her success but will take my light memoir needs elsewhere in the future.

I know it's April...

So I'm a terrible blog starter, but I'd really love to have a bit of a record of my reading, book obsessed as I am. That being said, first book off the modern library list that I actually tackled was... The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Possibly because it may be the shortest on the list. Thornton Wilder was famous for writing plays (he wrote Our Town, it's probably being staged at your local high school right now...) The book was a good start to the list, it was short, lovely prose, it is an allegory about a young monk who witnesses the tragic deaths of 5 people when a popular bridge in Peru collapses goes on a quest to understand why these 5 were chosen to die. All told it is a quality read for a couple of quiet, pleasant afternoons.